Conflict situations in permanent makeup: the protection and solutions

 Problems that are associated with an excess or lack of information, as well as the ones where the idea is distorted, give rise to misunderstandings that can turn into conflict situations, particularly in the service sector. For those who understand how the procedure of permanent makeup is performed, and for those who realize how complicated it is to execute the idea of pigment application into the facial skin, it is clear that permanent makeup is an area that can potentially cause lots of conflicts.

A conflict is a situation when the interests, needs, goals or values of involved parties interfere with one another. As a rule, in a conflict situation one party tries to take a position that is opposite to the interests of the other one. This is contradiction between two or more people who are trying to solve the problem with emotions expressed in varying degrees.

There is a solution for any conflict situation; the main problem is that the solution needs to be found in time, which can be difficult as neither of the conflicting parties is interested in it. Clients expect desired results, whereas artists need grateful customers.

However, as practice shows, the number of customers who are dissatisfied with the quality of permanent makeup is growing so fast that the procedure of permanent makeup removal is as demanded as the procedure of its application. Conflicts can be expressed overtly - in this case it might take the form of a dispute which can help to clarify the situation; it can also be covert, when people express their feelings indirectly, or hide them.

The problem is obvious. What is the best way to solve it? In principle, is it possible to find a solution?

Possible consequences 

Let’s start with something that undoubtedly takes place during the procedure, and very often can be the reason for a conflict situation – the consequences.

The consequences can be divided into two groups:

• Inevitable consequences as a result of the procedure
• The ones that arise due to lack of knowledge, or carelessness of a specialist

The first group can include the following:

Soreness, discomfort. Those symptoms normally appear as a result of low pain tolerance. This condition may be temporary or permanent. That is to say that pain threshold may be lowered due to fear, anxiety, worry or tension; quite often women feel more pain during their ovulation or menstruation periods. Some people have naturally low pain threshold due to the specifics of the skin structure; for others it is the result of stress.

Swelling. This situation is very common; it is a natural reaction of the skin to micro-trauma that is inevitable when a procedure of permanent makeup is performed as the needles penetrate the skin.

Scabs.  Scabbing, dryness and shedding occur very often as a result of a permanent makeup procedure. It is necessary to mention that this reaction is absolutely normal, since in any case the needles cause micro-trauma which forces the body into this state of self-repair. Approximately within 2-5 days the area starts to peel and flake. The initial intensity of the color will have faded, and the desired color shade will start being noticeable. It takes about one month for the final result to appear, and up to three months for the pigment to settle in the skin after its application.

Hematoma as a result of a permanent makeup procedure is also possible. This is a classic version of side-effects. It happens very rarely, but might occur even when the procedure is properly performed. Hematomas can be caused by individual characteristics, or they may occur as a result of various treatments with the use of epinephrine or adrenaline that block the capillary blood circulation. If the bruise appeared on the mucous membrane of the lips, then most likely it will heal in one or two days. The skin hematoma can stay for three or four days. In any case, there is no need to be afraid of superficial bruises since they do not affect the final result. The risk of hematoma formation is minimized if the procedure is carried out with the use of a correctly chosen as well as properly performed technique.

There are certain consequences that may take place after healing. These include the following:

-       poor color retention

-       enhanced color in the area of natural pigmentation (such as freckles or birth marks)

-       uneven color distribution

Every situation has an explanation, so all the information should be given to the client by the artist during the first consultation before the procedure. The information related to the permanent makeup procedure must be complete.

 

The second group includes legal aspects of the procedure which must be strictly complied with, otherwise disputes might escalate into a conflict situation. If the consultation is conducted properly, and the customer is warned about all the inevitable unpleasant consequences, then the emergence of such effects during and after the procedure is not likely to cause any desire to be in conflict or to express negative emotions. However, no matter how nice your new client seems, or how friendly your relationship with regular customers is, client’s approval with a signature for consent to a specified treatment is essential. All the necessary information should be written down in the contract, any additional notes might be written later.

 

Precautionary measures

What else should be done to minimize the chances of conflict occurrence between an artist and a client? An integral part of the procedure is drawing up legal documents in compliance with all the rules; it is also essential to take photos before and after the procedure as well as photos with the final result after the touch-up procedure. Photographs should be taken from the front, from the right and from the left, and should contain a close-up of the face as well as the area on which permanent makeup is going to be applied. Photographs of artist’s works will also be parts of the portfolio which is necessary for advertising.

 

The reason that may cause a conflict can be both objective and subjective. If it is subjective, it means that quite often it does not depend on the result of the procedure and is basically just a motive for the client to start a conflict.

Naturally, the responsibility for the work is taken by the direct executor – an artist with all the necessary skills and knowledge, a well-trained specialist whose workplace is properly prepared for the procedure. A specialist must strive for continuous development in many different areas that are important for any professional, including the area of information.

It is important to remember that sometimes certain things might be correct in theory, but wrong in practice. Every day we get updated information about contraindications, various cases of healing, the use of certain pigments, as well as different reasons for conflict situations.

 

Competent protection

Recently there has been this very unpleasant progressive tendency when after the service of permanent makeup application has been provided a lot of questions arise due to the dissatisfaction of the client. The consequent requirement in this case is to refund the money paid for the procedure, plus compensation for non-pecuniary damage. The motivation in this case is not important as this situation is a classic case of blackmail and extortion.

What do we need to do in such situations? First of all, do not panic. Unfortunately, our mentality, as well as lack of legal protection and the desire to just run away from the problems can lead in most cases to the satisfaction of financial claims of unscrupulous customers. At first, the client is not satisfied with the quality of work on the eyebrows, so the artist agrees to pay the money that the client is asking for, and in two weeks there is something else – for example, the permanent lip makeup is not satisfactory. What do you think the result of the second incident will be? Well, it will be exactly the same! Needless to say that the number of such cases will increase in mathematical progression, until the specialists themselves find the way out of the situation, so it is not repeated again and again.

 

First and foremost, do not give in to blackmail. Try to eliminate the potential blackmail situation at the very beginning, as has been said before, with a legal contract signed by the client, which will prove his\her awareness of any possible effects and consequences during and after the procedure.

Second of all, make it your rule to take photos of your work on a mandatory basis, mentioning this action in the legal contract as a necessary and an integral part of the procedure of permanent makeup application.

Last but not least, you might need some help from independent civil society organizations as well as professional associations. In our country, the most efficient and effective way to deal with this problem is the union of artists within the framework of the already established International non-government organization  "Global Beauty Assotiation" (INGO GBA) – the first one ever in Ukraine. – the first one ever in Ukraine. Along with training events and activities, the association has set the primary mission which is to provide effective legal assistance in conflict situations between both its members (permanent makeup artists) and the customers who were really affected by the poor performance of the procedure. An additional paragraph in the legal contract that describes the possibility of recourse to a third party can be extremely important. In this case, the protection of consumer rights is provided by independent non-governmental organizations and professional associations. Of course, the role of members of the association is not an easy one: on one hand, the members will naturally have a feeling of professional solidarity; on the other hand, they must be "fair judges" in every situation, evaluating the quality of work of their colleagues.

In conclusion, it is important to remember that no expert is infallible. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. The ability to correct mistakes in time is a signature style of a professional, and it is the best possible way to prevent conflicts.

Originally translated by PMU International Magazine.